To Be a Hero
by Soniclover0028
Summary: When our four favorite turtles are tossed into another world, they find themselves trapped inside of a prophecy, and the only way to get home is by fulfilling it. What happens, however, when this prophecy only has three tickets to go home, and four turtles that need them? The answer? There's only one, and no one likes it.
1. Prologue

_Me: _New story! Yay...? Pleasedon'tthrowrocksatmeIknowI'mlateonupdatesbutIhadtodothis! ...Ahem... Let's roll!

* * *

><p><em>To Be a Hero<em>

_Prologue_

By: Soniclover28

He wasn't crazy…

They said he was, but he wasn't. No, sir-_ee_; he was perfectly sane. They just didn't see it. They didn't hear it. They didn't _feel_ it.

He wasn't crazy.

They danced. The voices; they danced. They sang, they screamed, and they sang some more. They sang beautifully.

He _wasn't_ crazy.

The shadows; they were everywhere. The colors; they were in charge. The light; ha—it was nowhere. But he liked it that way. He liked the chaos, and—oh—the clarity it gave him. He loved the voices.

The voices—they sang. They screamed. They sang some more.

He _wasn't crazy_.

But then _they_ took the voices away. The wonderful, horrible voices… He got them back. The _voices_ came back. And then _their _voices were silenced…

…Or so he had thought…

He laughed. Oh, how he loved to laugh.

He cried while he laughed. Oh, how he loved the feeling.

The voices—they got louder, louder, and _louder_ still. And then they screamed. They screamed their horribly wondrous songs. The shadows hugged him, the voices sang to him. The colors danced, and the voices—oh, the voices—they were screeching now.

He danced with them. He cried. He laughed. He screamed. He laughed some more.

_He wasn't crazy!_

He woke up.

He opened his eyes; looked around. His eyes…Yes, his eyes! His eyes were the clue! Wide and wild, they were.

Chained were his feet. Chained were his hands. Chained was his neck.

He looked around—he remembered.

He screamed.

He laughed.

He screamed some more.

No one heard him—no one.

He was alone.

He was _immortal._

He was a semi-_god._

He was a _turtle_.

He was a _ninja_.

He was _Michelangelo_.

And he wasn't _crazy_.

* * *

><p>"C'mon, Leo! You can do this!"<p>

"Don't give up, meathead! Keep going!"

"Y'oll—ne-er—'eat—ee!"

"Wa-sh—ee!"

His mouth hurt—it hurt so, so bad. Leo's hurt, too, he could tell. But neither one was going to give up. They'd come too far to give up. His cheeks felt as if they were going to burst, and his tongue felt as if it were being stuffed down his throat.

"C'mon, Mike!"

"Go, Leo!"

"They're going to hurt themselves!"

"There is nothing more I can do."

"One more—c'mon, Mikey, you can do it! Almost there-! _Yes!_"

"Hold it, Leo! Hold it! Good, now try another! No, _no! Noooo!"_

Leonardo finally gave in. He forced it back out—his jaws were about to break.

"C'mon, Mike! One more and you've got the record!"

Raphael held his breath as his brother nodded weakly and did it again. It held.

"_Yes!_"

"Now spit 'em out, man!"

Michelangelo finally let the thirty-five doughnut holes fall out of his mouth, sighing in relief as his jaws relaxed.

"Well, that's gross," April grimaced, turning away from the mass of half-chewed doughnut holes.

"Way to _go_, Mikey!" Raphael congratulated, offering a rare, genuine smile.

"Good try, Leo… We'll get 'em next time…" Casey patted a pouting Leonardo on his shell.

"Yeah, Leo, maybe next time—oh, wait, you'll lose then, too! Oh, yeah, baby, that's Mikey, eleven, and Leo, zero!" The orange-clad turtle boasted, holding up an 'o' shape with his three fingers.

"Wait 'till next Friday, and I'll beat you, _and_ the world record!" Leonardo challenged, grinning at his younger brother.

"Challenge accepted!" Michelangelo grinned back, an excited glint in his eye.

"I must commend you on your victory, Michelangelo." Splinter paused and glanced at the wad of glaze, saliva, and doughnut on the table of the small kitchen. "Now clean up this mess. I do not want any more roaches here than there already is."

Upon hearing this, Raphael hastily went from a mood of triumph to terror, and knocked his brother on the back of the head. "You heard 'im! Get movin'!"

Raph _hated_ cockroaches. He shuddered at the thought of them crawling all over the lair—not that they weren't already.

Michelangelo grinned again, still happy about his win in the doughnut hole contest, but nonetheless started scooping the mass of sugar into a nearby trashcan.

"Thirty-five…" Donatello was still awed. "It's not physically possible! With each hole being more than approximately three inches long, you shouldn't have even been able to put fourteen in your mouth—never mind _thirty-five!_"

"You're just saying that because you couldn't get past eight," Raphael scoffed.

Donatello gave a lighthearted glare.

"Ah, it's okay, Donnie; not everyone has a bottomless pit for a mouth," April chuckled, placing a hand on the back of the turtle's shell.

"R-right; thanks, April," Donatello blushed.

Michelangelo loved nights like these. He loved it when everyone was relaxed; when everyone was enjoying themselves. It had taken a lot to convince April and Casey to buy them a few cases of doughnut holes, but it was worth it, considering how much fun everyone was having.

He knew the moment would soon pass by, and his family would be tossed back into the war and drama they were currently trapped in. But Michelangelo didn't mind. As long as he got to spend every precious moment with his family, he was happy.

If only it could always be like this.

"Oh, man, Red, we gotta get back; your aunt's gonna kill us!" Casey suddenly shoved Donatello aside, showing her the time on his cell phone.

"Oh, geez! Uh- Bye, guys! Good job, Mikey! See you guys tomorrow!" April exclaimed, grabbing her T-phone and following Casey as he exited the kitchen, and was soon out of sight.

"Uh… Bye…" Leonardo called, a bit surprised at the sudden leave.

And just like that, the moment was over.

"Ooh, the nerve of that guy!" Donatello growled, "I didn't even get to tell her goodbye!"

"Ah, relax, Donnie; it's not like Casey's trying to tear you two apart. Wait…" Michelangelo looked up from washing his sticky hands to see his third older brother glaring at him. "He wouldn't do that…Would he…?"

"Mikey, when a teenage boy likes a teenage girl, he'll do anything he can to be alone with her. That's exactly what Casey's doing right now!"

"But Donnie…" Mikey blinked, "Don't you do that, too?"

That earned himself another glare.

"It's not the same, Mikey! I don't try to hog her to myself every second of every day!" Donatello burst.

Michelangelo opened his mouth to protest, but his other brother, Raphael, shook his head behind Donatello, telling him to drop it.

"…Okay…" He said instead, drying his hands off.

Donatello _'hmphed'_ and sulked out of the kitchen.

"Well, then…" Leo paused, "You guys wanna watch a movie?" Leonardo suggested, opening the cabinets and taking out a bag of un-popped popcorn.

Michelangelo and Raphael glanced at each other and simultaneously replied, "Sure."

Leonardo nodded and started the popcorn in the microwave. "Cool; you guys go pick out the movie, and I'll try to get Donnie to join us."

* * *

><p>"Hm… What about <em>Lion King<em>?" Michelangelo asked, pulling out said tape.

"Mikey, you gotta stop watching kid movies. You're fifteen; choose something else," Raphael huffed, sitting down on the couch.

Michelangelo put the tape back in the crate and rummaged around a few seconds before pulling another one out. "What about _The Little Mermaid_?" He asked excitedly, "It's my favorite!"

Raphael rolled his eyes. "Move over," he said, digging around in the box. "Ah, here we go!" Raphael pulled out a DVD. "_World War Z_! You haven't even watched this one, have you?"

Michelangelo shook his head, "Leo and Donnie said it'll give me nightmares."

"Leo and Donnie need to grow up. This movie isn't even that scary."

"But Leo said-"

"_Leo_ is the same age you are, and he's watched it. I think you can watch it, too."

"…Fine…" Michelangelo sighed reluctantly.

"_Alright!_" Raphael grinned, putting the disc into the turtles' custom made DVD player.

The two brothers then sat back down on the couch and waited for the oldest brother to join them.

"Hey, guys. What're we watching?"

They both turned their heads to see Donatello emerging from his laboratory, looking calmer and more relaxed than about ten minutes ago. Leonardo shortly followed him out and jogged towards the kitchen to retrieve the popcorn.

"_World War Z_," Raphael said, a smirk on his face. "In honor of Mike's victory," He added, rubbing his little brother's head.

"What? Mikey, you'll get nightmares if you-"

"He's not five, Donnie. He can watch it with us," Raphael interrupted, calmly leaning against the couch.

"…Alright… But if you wake up in the middle of the night screaming, don't come crying to me," Donatello said, sitting on the other side of his little brother.

Michelangelo only chuckled.

"Okay, popcorn's ready. Go ahead and hit 'play'." Leonardo came in the living room, carrying a large bowl of popcorn.

Raphael did as told, and Leonardo nestled himself beside his red-clad brother, passing Michelangelo the popcorn so that they could all reach the bowl.

"Hey, is this _World War Z_?" Leonardo asked, "Mikey can't watch this."

"Oh, for the love of- _He_ _can watch the movie!_" Raphael burst, "He's fifteen, Leo; he can handle it!"

Realizing that this problem had already been addressed before, Leonardo gave in, "Alright, alright."

Raphael grinned and turned back to the movie, shoving a handful of popcorn in his mouth.

* * *

><p>"<em>Aaaah!<em>"

Raphael jolted awake. He burst out of bed, grabbing his sai and rushing out of his room. He blinked the remnants of sleep from his eyes, and looked around to find Donatello and Leonardo out of their rooms as well, weapons drawn.

Another shout emerged from the underground lair, and the three brothers looked towards the pit to see their little brother curled up in pain on the floor in front of their couch. For a reason maybe only Donnie could explain, there were winds whipping across the lair; howling like the very wind in a devastating storm.

"Mikey!" Raphael exclaimed, rushing towards his sibling in distress.

"What is going on in here?!" Splinter emerged from the dojo, startled by the sudden screams.

The screams were suddenly replaced with mad laughter, and the young turtle rose to his feet. His body trembled, and his face held a wicked smile. Tears streamed from his eyes, yet his laughter grew louder.

"What the-?! Mikey, what's wrong with you?!" Raphael shouted over the roaring wind, freezing only a few meter from the turtle.

"_Back!_ Get _back!_ All of you!" The mad turtle laughed, "He is coming! _He is coming!_"

"_What's going on?!_"

The family of mutants looked back to see Michelangelo coming out of his room.

Wait…

"What the _shell_ is happening?!" Raphael yelled.

"What the-?!" Michelangelo's eyes widened as he saw…_himself_ cackling in the living room. "_That's not me!_"

The winds got louder.

"It is he! _It is he!_ He shall break the curse! _He shall!_" The so-called Michelangelo howled. The insane turtle suddenly lunged, and the winds picked up more speed as he ran towards his doppelganger.

Splinter, pushing aside his confusion at the entire situation for a moment, jumped into action. Like a bullet, he shot towards the stranger of a turtle. He collided with the double of his youngest, but was easily deflected and sent flying across the lair.

"Sensei!" Leonardo called as his father hit the wall and slid lifelessly to the ground.

"That tears it!" Raphael snarled, pulling out his sai again and charging at his new threat. He forced himself through the wind, a bit surprised that the turtle had stopped moving, and thrust his weapon towards his head.

The turtle merely turned and grabbed Raphael's arm.

The red-clad turtle's eyes widened, and in one swift movement, he was sent hurling into another one of his brothers.

The Michelangelo look-a-like cackled once more, and turned back towards his original target. His eyes were wild, and his body trembled even harder in anticipation.

The real Michelangelo found that he couldn't move. He wasn't frozen in fear—but it was as if some great force were holding him in place. He stood with his arms limp by his sides, his feet beside each other and his head tilted in a sophisticated way.

"You shall come with me…" The fake Michelangelo hissed, coming closer to his doppelganger. "You… You and your brothers shall come with me… You shall break the curse… And you shall set me free…"

Reaching out, the fake Michelangelo placed a finger on the other's forehead.

There was a flash, and Mikey fell to the ground, unconscious.

"_Mikey!_" Raphael exclaimed, clambering off of Leonardo and standing up again.

"All of you… You shall _all_ come with me!"

There was a golden flash in the room, and everyone was sent into the wall from some unexplained force. The winds died down, and the mutant family started to rise carefully to their feet.

"What… the heck just happened…?" Leonardo panted, leaning against the wall.

"_Mikey!_" Raphael called for umpteenth time. He ran over to his little brother, who had somehow remained unscathed from the golden glow, and was still lying in the small hallway which held the four brothers' rooms.

The red-clad turtle knelt beside his brother, tentatively shaking him for a response. "Mikey, wake up. This isn't funny; wake up!"

"Raph…?" Michelangelo rasped, slowly blinking his eyes open.

Leonardo and Donatello joined the two brothers, kneeling beside the youngest as he sat up weakly. They both helped support him as Raphael coaxed him to stand.

"My sons!"

At first, they didn't know why their father sounded so worried.

And then, in another golden flash, they disappeared.

They all were suddenly being hurled through a tunnel of colors, and right before they reached the exit, everything turned black.


	2. Chapter 1

_To Be a Hero_

_Chapter 1_

By: Soniclover28

"Mikey… Mikey, wake up…"

Michelangelo slowly blinked his eyes open, confused when he was met with a bright light. He hissed and shielded his eyes, slowly sitting up. The light then soon faded, and a dim grey lit the area.

"What the-…? Ugh, my head…" The orange-clad turtle groaned, rubbing his pounding noggin. He blinked his sleepiness away, and glanced around, startled when he was met by a dark forest.

"Hey, knucklehead; glad you're up." Michelangelo looked to see his older brother kneeling beside him.

"Raph…? Where are we?"

"I dunno. Some forest, I think."

"Where's Leo and Donnie?"

"'Dunno that either, Little Brother," Raphael sighed, helping his younger sibling to his feet. "We better start looking for 'em, though. I'll bet Donnie knows where we are."

The forest in which the turtles now found themselves was no ordinary habitat. The trees seemed to spiral endlessly into the sky, and their leaves were a dark, grayish green. The ground was mostly dirt, but a few patches of gray-green grass sprouted every few places.

The freckled turtle nodded, breathing in relief when his headache started to fade away.

"Hey, Mikey…?" Raphael asked after a few minutes of walking.

"Yeah, Raph?"

"Do you remember what happened before we got knocked out?"

"Sort of… I remember another turtle in the lair, but… he looked insane, and…actually… a little bit like me. Why?"

"Just making sure I wasn't crazy. What was up with that guy, anyways?"

"…I dunno. He was real freaky, though." Michelangelo suddenly grinned, "He sounded like you on a bad day."

"_Har-dee-har_," Raphael rolled his eyes.

"_Funny indeed…_"

"What the-? Who said that?" Raphael asked, eyes narrowing as he looked around.

"Me, of course."

The two turtles turned their heads and gaped upon what they saw.

They saw a girl with long, flame-colored hair, and shining blue eyes. She wore a golden kimono, and a golden aura surrounded her as she hovered from the ground.

"_April?_" Michelangelo gasped, "What-? What happened to you?"

The girl tilted her head in confusion.

"Dear warriors, are you faring well? For you know my name is not April." The glowing girl paused in realization. "You are not our warriors… You do not wear their bands of white…" She glanced at Michelangelo. "…Or black. I assume that the prophecy brought you here?"

"What are you talking about? Look April—or whoever you are—we're just looking for our brothers and a way back home," Raphael snapped.

"What prophecy?" Michelangelo asked, as if his brother hadn't spoken.

"It is called _The Prophecy of Purity. _Shall I recite it for you, little one?" The girl asked in a soft tone.

"Please," Mikey dipped his head in respect.

"But first you must answer me this—what are your names?"

"Hamato Michelangelo," The orange-clad turtle answered automatically. "And this is Hamato Raphael," he added after seeing his brother glare at the April look-a-like. The red-clad turtle opened his mouth to speak, but the girl interrupted him as she raised her eyebrows in mild surprise.

"I am Shigatsu, Sorceress of this land I call home," The sorceress introduced, giving a well-practiced curtsey.

"Look, lady, all we want is to find a way home; we don't have time to tell each other stories. C'mon, Mikey, let's go," Raphael dismissed, as he turned to leave. He paused, however, when he didn't hear his brother's footsteps behind him.

"Mikey…?"

The freckled turtle, however, was hardly acknowledging his brother's presence. He was still gaping in awe at the so-called sorceress.

The girl gave a sly smile. "Won't you stay? I have much to tell you."

"Yeah, we've got some time," Michelangelo nodded eagerly. "Can you tell us that proficiency now?"

Raphael stared in disbelief at his little brother.

"You mean 'prophecy,' young one. And of course," Shigatsu said, motioning for Raphael to join them again.

Raphael looked between the golden being and his brother—whom still wouldn't even turn his head to look at him—and finally decided to listen to what Shigatsu had to say.

"Alright, Shi-gut-su, let's hear it," He huffed, sulking back over to his brother.

"It's _Shigatsu_, Raph; Shi-got-sue," Mikey glared at his brother for his impoliteness. His eyes flickered back to the girl a second later before Raphael could react, for she started to speak again.

"_Four mighty Warriors,_

_Running for his life._

_Their destinies are tied,_

_And they fear for their lives._

_.:~.~:._

_They see the solution,_

_But they do not see his part._

_They see his pollution,_

_But they do not see his heart._

__.:~.~:.__

_Death and Life_

_Form a single line._

_Inside his mind_

_Is where the answer lies._

__.:~.~:.__

_Four mighty warriors,_

_Running for his life. _

_Their destinies are tied, _

_And they fear for their lives._

__.:~.~:.__

_Eyes of wild,_

_And heart of child._

_Hands of bloody,_

_And act of jumpy._

__.:~.~:.__

_These are your fates,_

_And this you will hate._

_But you are what you make,_

_And he must wipe his own slate._

__.:~.~:.__

_Three mighty warriors,_

_With tears in their eyes._

_They have lost a life,_

_And forever they will cry._"

As Shigatsu finished, Raphael and Michelangelo looked at each other. They had both felt something…_stir_ in their stomachs when the last stanza was read.

"Wow, that's… That was beautiful, Shigatsu," Michelangelo said, nodding his head.

"It is quite something. But I must not take credit, for it was Sir Hahen who prophesized it," Shigatsu replied. Her eyes suddenly widened, and she took a sharp intake of breath. Two pairs of blue eyes met for the longest of times. Michelangelo seemed to stare straight into Shigatsu's eyes, as if they were both searching for something in the other.

Raphael looked bewildered at the entire situation, and his gaze shifted once more from Shigatsu to his brother in utter confusion. He suddenly felt awkward and out of place, and tentatively called his sibling's name.

Then, slowly, Shigatsu reached out with her finger and floated towards Mikey. She gently placed it atop Michelangelo's head, and a small flash erupted from the turtle's body.

"What the-? What are you doing?" Raphael asked, tensing as the sorceress touched his brother.

"Relax, Raph," Michelangelo said, calmly stepping back from the floating April look-a-like, "She didn't hurt me."

"_You_… You are our warriors…" Shigatsu choked, her face paling as if she had seen a ghost. Her glow faded slightly, and she dropped out of the air and to her knees on the ground. "Brave, courageous warriors; you have finally come."

Michelangelo was now the one in confusion. "Warriors? You've got it wrong, Shigatsu. We're ninjas," He said, twirling his nun chucks for emphasis—or, perhaps, show.

The red-headed sorceress shook her head. "No. I saw your mind. I saw your brothers. Your _two_ other brothers. That means you are altogether four. You and your brothers are the destined warriors! You must summon them—quickly!"

The two mutants glanced at each other.

"We, um, can't exactly do that," Raphael blinked, "That's why we were _looking_ for them."

"Hold up; you said earlier that we weren't your 'warriors', and that you mistook us for them," Michelangelo said, "Congrats; you have officially confused me."

"You misunderstand—for the warriors are in sets of two. You are the second set," Shigatsu explained, standing from her position.

"You mean there's another _us_ here?"

"Yes. They are the warriors that were at first thought to fulfill the prophecy, and when they did not, it was foretold that the true warriors would arrive many years after them to become the saviors of our world."

"Save you from what?"

"We do not know. That is how we knew the previous four were not the true warriors. There was—and is—no danger plaguing our world yet. But now that you have come, I fear that evil is about to awaken," Shigatsu finished, gradually floating back into the air, regaining her composure. "But enough of my babble—I shall find your brothers quickly and summon them here myself. From there, we shall go and see Hahen; he will know what to do next."

"Wait," Raphael crossed his arms, "Who said we that _wanted _to be your so-called 'warriors'? For your information, we kind of have our own world we have to take care of."

Shigatsu glared at him, her blue eyes turning to ice. "No one had to claim if you _wanted_ to; but the prophecy states that you _have_ to. You will save our world, or you will perish trying to escape, for there is no easy way to travel through space and time when the power of the Great Spirits calls you to help our world."

"C'mon, Raph—these guys need our help with… whatever it is they need help with, and it's our job to help people, right? So how can we call ourselves heroes if we don't act like it?" Michelangelo reasoned, stepping closer to his older brother. Without waiting for a response, Mikey turned back to Shigatsu, "We'll help. Just help us find my bros."

"Indeed. Consider your wish granted," Shigatsu nodded once, and closed her eyes. Her golden aura intensified, and she held her hands out in front of her in concentration.

"Wha- _Mikey!_" Raph growled, whirling on his little brother. "Are you nuts?! You're just gonna give her a promise we can't keep?"

"Who says we're not keeping it?" Mikey growled right back.

"Who says we _are?!_" The older of the two snarled.

"Guys…?"

Both turtles' heads turned to see their cool-clad brothers looking at them in confusion.

"Leo, Donnie!" Michelangelo grinned, launching himself at his two older brothers. He gave them a bear hug, chuckling when they hugged back.

"Hey, Mikey; good to see you, too," Donatello smirked.

"Let us not waste any time. We must go to Master Hahen quickly," Shigatsu briefly interrupted the reunion, though touched by the scene.

"_April?_" Donatello gaped, "What are you doing here?"

"That's not April, Don. Leo, Donnie; meet Shigatsu—she's a sorceress," Michelangelo introduced, and then turned to the floating girl, "Shigatsu, meet Hamato Leonardo and Hamato Donatello—they're my brothers."

"It is an honor to meet you," Shigatsu curtsied again, and the cool-clad mutants bowed respectively. "Now," She continued, "We must go."

Before Donatello could ask what was going on, there was another golden flash, and they were gone.

When Michelangelo opened his eyes again, he looked around to find himself in some type of dojo. The entire structure was made of wood, and a giant, red mat covered the entire floor. There stood a cherry blossom tree in the middle of the room in full bloom, and the room was lit dimly by candles and the moonlight from small windows in the walls.

"Master Hahen, are you here?" Shigatsu called, gracefully floating back to the ground, her golden kimono reflecting the colors of the candles in the room.

"I am," a strikingly familiar voice replied from behind the group. Everyone turned their heads, and the turtles' eyes widened when they saw who was proclaimed to be Hahen.

"Master Splinter?!" Leonardo exclaimed, voicing the brothers' thoughts. "What- What are you doing here? What's going on?"

The rat cocked a grey eyebrow in confusion as he folded his four-fingered hands behind his maroon kimono. His black, white and brown pelt was smoothed down neatly, and his pink, hairless tail twitched in interest.

"Shigatsu, why have you brought these strangers with you to my dojo?" The Splinter look-a-like asked, completely ignoring the blue-masked turtle.

"These, Master Hahen, are the warriors—the _true_ warriors," Shigatsu explained, bowing her head in respect. "They have come to fulfill the prophecy."

Hahen's brown eyes widened at this. He finally looked at the mutant turtles, who were staring at the six foot rat in confused bewilderment.

"They do, indeed, resemble the warriors very closely. But I must test them to be sure," Hahen said, his eyes narrowing.

Only years of seeing this expression made the turtles draw their weapons and take a fighting stance.

"But Master Hahen; they are but teenagers—they are not trained in your ways yet!" Shigatsu exclaimed.

"Look closely, my student; they bear the weapons of a ninja," The rat replied, taking a fighting stance as well, "Someone has taught them the art of ninjustu."

Without another word, the Splinter look-a-like went into action, and lunged at the four turtles…

…And had them all on their backs in seconds.

He had been so fast, so strong, that the four brothers didn't process they had lost until they saw each other lying on the ground.

"Perhaps you are correct," Hahen smirked smugly, "They do not posses such talents that are required for our art."

"Sensei Hahen! They are but _teenagers! _I saw the little one's mind. I saw his memories. They have all fought bravely against opponents that should not have lost against them. They come from another world, and they are a family—they have a father. Their father _taught_ them. And their father was _you_, master—another incarnation of you." Shigatsu blurted, yanking Michelangelo to his feet and gesturing to him widely.

Hahen was silent for a moment, allowing the four turtles to stare in awe at Shigatsu for already knowing so much about them.

"Okay, _timeout_," Donatello held up his hands in a 'T' shape. "Can someone _please_ explain what's going on?"

"You are our warriors. You are the warriors in our prophecy. You shall save our world and become our saviors!" Shigatsu explained, absentmindedly floating off of the ground.

"Prophecy?" Leonardo echoed. "What prophecy?"

"_The Prophecy of Purity_. It is a prophecy that Hahen received from the Great Spirits."

"I think you have the wrong turtles. We're not even from this world, Apri—_Shigatsu_," Leonardo reasoned. However, the O'Neill look-a-like shook her head. Before she could speak, however, Hahen finally spoke up.

"Little one."

Michelangelo's head snapped up after having been called this a few times already, and, after making sure the rat was addressing him, replied, "Yes, Hahen…?"

"Come."

The orange-clad turtle glanced at his brothers, who were looking at him in surprise.

Why Mikey?

Why the youngest?

Why their baby brother?

"Little one. _Come_," Hahen repeated, his voice hardening a bit.

Maybe it was his tone. Maybe it was the look in his eyes. Maybe it was the way he resembled his father in every way possible, but Michelangelo took a few hesitant steps forwards until he was a few feet in front of Hahen.

Just as Shigatsu had, the Splinter-look-a-like placed one of his four fingers on the freckled turtle's forehead, and both mutants closed their eyes upon contact.

Mikey's tense muscles went slack, and his head hung limply as a silvery aura emanated from them both.

"Mikey!" His three brothers exclaimed. They made a move to run towards their little brother, but found they couldn't move their legs—or arms, for that matter.

"What the-?!" Raphael growled, struggling against the unknown force. He looked to the side to see Shigatsu holding her hand out towards them, a faint golden glow radiating from her fingers. "Hey! Let us go! What's he doin' to Mikey?" Raphael demanded, his lip curling into a snarl as his brotherly instincts went into full swing. He made a very deep, animalistic sound that came from the very pits of his anger.

"Calm yourself, Raphael," Shigatsu said, "Hahen is not harming your little one in any way."

The brothers visibly relaxed at this.

"Then what's he doing?" Donatello asked, still a bit thrown by the April look-a-like.

"He is just searching his spirit. He is seeing if you all are really our warriors."

"Why did he choose Mikey?" Leonardo questioned.

"That is beyond me. You must ask Hahen yourself if you wish to know," Shigatsu answered, gradually removing her hold on the turtles without them realizing it. "However, Hahen rarely takes this long to search someone's spirit. They-"

"_What?_" Raphael tensed again. "Why is he taking so long, then?"

"Calm yourself," Shigatsu snapped, "It only means they will both be weakened when Hahen is finished. Invading one's life force is very exhausting, but I assure you, you brother will be alright."

As if on cue, the aura around Michelangelo and Hahen faded, and the mutant rat shook his head and placed a paw upon his brow.

Mikey, however, gave a heavy shudder and stumbled backwards as soon as the connection with Hahen was broken. Raphael was there in an instant, catching his brother just as he lost his footing.

"Hold steady, Mike; I got'cha'…" Raphael said, letting his brother have a chance to gather his bearings again. The red-clad turtle gently set his brother on the ground, letting the freckled turtle lean against his plastron while he took shaky, unsteady breaths.

"That was… Wow… Oh, geez…" Mikey mumbled, still refusing to open his eyes.

"You okay, Mikey…?" Raphael asked, checking his pulse after he quickly noted the weird breathing. It was a little quick, but otherwise alright.

In response, Michelangelo slowly blinked his bleary eyes open, his eyes taking a bit too long to focus on his older brother's face.

"I thought you said he'd just be a little tired!" Donatello, who had been looking at Michelangelo's condition, snapped at Shigatsu.

"And I have told you the truth!" Shigatsu defended, offended by the sudden outburst, "There is nothing wrong with him, for he is only a bit weak."

"He's completely disoriented," Donatello retorted, gesturing to the woozy turtle. "How long will he be like this?"

"It varies with each person."

"I was afraid of that answer."

"What're talkin' about, Don? Is something not right?" Raphael asked, as if only just now deciding to listen to the conversation.

"No—well… _Sort of_… There's nothing wrong with Mikey, really, but with our situation," Donnie explained, crossing his arms. "We don't how long it'll be until Mikey snaps out of it and until then…"

"We've gotta stay here…" Leonardo finished.

"Yeah, that's about right," Donatello shrugged, glancing back down at his little brother.

"Hahen, you are well already?"

The three coherent turtles' heads snapped upwards to see the rat that looked identical to their father standing over them, and they stared up at him.

"Yes, Shigatsu—but it is not I you should be concerned with. Fetch our warriors some green tea, please. They must be healthy if they are to begin their quest in saving our world."

"You mean-?" Shigatsu's eyes sparkled.

"Yes. These four turtles are the warriors in _The Prophecy of Purity_."

"Okay, so now I'm convinced you're not going to just let us go home now that you know we're the ones you need, but what's that prophecy you keep talking about?" Donatello questioned out of curiosity.

"I shall recite it for you:

_Four mighty Warriors,_

_Running for his life._

_Their destinies are tied,_

_And they fear for their lives-"_

Shigatsu was interrupted when another voice joined in reciting the poem, and everyone turned their shocked gazes to Michelangelo, who was staring at somewhere beyond the ceiling of the dojo.

"_They see the solution,_

_But they do not see his part._

_They see his pollution,_

_But they do not see his heart."_

Michelangelo placed a three-fingered hand on his chest.

"_Death and Life_

_Form a single line._

_Inside his mind_

__.:~.~:.__

_Is where the answer lies._

_Four mighty warriors,_

_Running for his life. _

_Their destinies are tied, _

_And they fear for their lives._

_.:~.~:._

_Eyes of wild,_

_And heart of child._

_Hands of bloody,_

_And act of jumpy._

__.:~.~:.__

_These are your fates,_

_And this you will hate._

_But you are what you make,_

_And he must wipe his own slate._

__.:~.~:.__

_Three mighty warriors,_

_With tears in their eyes._

_They have lost a life,_

_And forever they will cry._"

Something about the last stanza made the room grow uncomfortable and eerie. Michelangelo's brothers were a bit startled at the fact that the freckled turtle was able to chant the poem so fluently, and even more unsettled at the tone of his voice; it was wise and full of emotion.

However, the baby blue-eyed turtle gave another shudder, and he pressed his cheek deeper into Raphael's plastron, his fingers twitching as he made himself more comfortable. His focus-less eyes gazed up at his older brother, and Raphael looked right back with concerned emerald orbs.

"Raph…" Mikey said drowsily, "I think we're in for one shell of an adventure…"

With that, he closed his eyes and fell limp, letting himself rest in the arms of his big brother.

Raphael decided to let him stay there on his lap until he arouse again.

* * *

><p><em>Me:<em> '_Shigatsu_' means 'April' in Japanese. '_Hahen_' means Splinter.

Good day ;)


	3. Chapter 2

**Me**_:Yes! _I got this in before Christmas! _Booyahkasha!_

* * *

><p><em>To Be a Hero<em>

Chapter 2

By: Soniclover28

Michelangelo slowly drifted back into consciousness, and his eyes lazily blinked themselves open. He yawned and rubbed his baby-blue eyes, noticing he was in a bed of some sort. He then realized that someone was lying beside him, and the freckled turtle recognized the emerald green skin to belong to his older brother, Raphael.

He glanced around the small hold he was in, and, after finding a window that was leaking morning sunlight, noted that Donnie and Leo weren't in the same room as him.

'_That makes sense—'_ He thought, _'It'd be too crowded in here for two more people, and I guess we should all be partnered up, anyways.'_

Instead of rousing his older brother, Michelangelo continued to lay in his makeshift bed, and his gaze turned towards the ceiling in thought.

'_Let's see… I'm in another world that wants us to save its people from… something. There's another set of me and the guys here. Oh, yeah—and there's a prophecy about us that says one of us 'will lose a life'. Nice,' _Mikey thought, blowing a stream of slightly frustrated air through his mouth. The thought of losing any of his brothers scared him—possibly even more than losing his own life.

'_Maybe I'm thinking about it the wrong way,'_ Mikey backtracked, _'Proficiencies—no, _prophecies_—are basically riddles, right? So all we have to do is figure out the riddle and follow what it says to do.'_

'_Let's see…' _

"_Four mighty Warriors_"

That seemed pretty self-explanatory. The four warriors were most likely Mikey and his three older brothers. _'Duh.'_

"_Running for his life._"

Okay, so that _wasn't_ so self-explanatory… Maybe the four warriors were supposed to run for someone's life? Maybe one of the four warriors'? Maybe someone else…? _'Okay, so, we'll put a pin there.'_

"_Their destinies are tied,_

_And they fear for their lives._"

That one was kind of simple. The brothers' fates were the same, and they were scared for themselves. _'Okay, so, two down.'_

"_They see the solution,_

_But they do not see his part._"

'_There's that 'he' again. Okay… So… if we don't 'see his part,' that must mean that we don't know how he's useful in the prophecy—whoever _he_ is,' _Mikey thought.

"_They see his pollution,_

_But they do not see his heart._"

'_We see his… problem…? We see his problem but not what he thinks about it…? Hm…' _

"Hnngh…" Michelangelo was snapped out of his thoughts when he heard a grunt come from beside him. He sat up and looked down to see his big brother currently joining the land of consciousness.

Green irises slid out from under matching eyelids, and they blinked themselves into focus as they beheld a pair of baby-blues staring back into them.

"Mikey…? Hey, you're up," Raph blinked, and sat up next to his brother. He rubbed one of his eyes and yawned. "How long've you been awake?"

"Not long," Mikey shrugged. "Your snoring kept me company."

"Oh, whatever," Raphael rolled his eyes and lightly shoved his little brother. Mikey chuckled and stood up, and started doing his morning stretches. Then, he paused.

"How long've I been out?" He asked, and started pulling his leg up over his head.

Raphael stood up beside his little brother and started doing stretches, as well. "Well… You nodded off about two hours before we did, so…" He glanced at the window, and replied, "About twelve hours."

"Ah, okay." Satisfied with the answer, Mikey did two flips and a handstand for ten seconds before deciding he was loose enough to start the day. He waited for Raphael to get done, and together they exited the room. Raphael led the way into a small hallway and then through the dojo he'd seen last night, and, finally, into what looked to be a kitchen.

Donatello and Leonardo were already there, sitting on their knees at a low table with what looked to be breakfast setting in front of them. Mikey had to swallow back some drool as a crispy, sweet aroma filled his nostrils.

"Look who decided to wake up," Donnie greeted, flashing a gap-toothed smile.

Mikey smirked, "Didn't have much choice with Raph snoring the whole night.

Said turtle rolled his eyes and walked deeper into the kitchen, taking a spot at the round table, and gesturing for Mikey to do the same. The freckled turtle complied, and, as he was about to ask how to get some of the food Leo and Donnie had come to find, Shigatsu came through a second door in the kitchen holding two more plates of breakfast. Smiling, she placed them in front of Raphael and Mikey, who immediately picked up a pair of chopsticks and were prepared to dig in.

Leonardo cleared his throat, and both turtles paused. Immediately realizing their mistake, they set their chopsticks down, placed one of their fists into their palm, and simultaneously thanked Shigatsu for the meal.

"_Itadakimasu_."

"_Iie_," Shigatsu smiled, waving them off, but happy of the appreciation.

Once she was gone, Leonardo gave a hum of satisfaction, and Raphael simply gave him a glance and picked up his chopsticks again. Mikey smiled and started eating as well.

His plate consisted of steamed rice and a sweet roll, and, even though it wasn't pizza, it was still one of the best tasting things Mikey had eaten since he'd been in this new world.

'_Besides the fact that this is the _only_ thing I've eaten in this world,'_ Mikey thought with a small smirk to himself.

"So, Mikey, I was wondering…" Donnie started, picking at a clump of rice with his chopsticks.

Mikey took a bite out of his sweet roll as Donatello started speaking, and shifted his gaze to the turtle as he chewed his food.

"What was it like when, y'know, Hahen did that 'life-spirit-search-thing'…?" He inquired, "Raph told us that Shigatsu did it, too…"

Mikey swallowed, and turned his gaze down towards his rice in thought.

"It's… different…" Mikey answered, his finger tracing the naturally worn design on the wooden table he sat at. "I don't really know how to explain it… but… it was like… um…" He paused. "It was kind of like they were looking at a photo album, but my memories were the pictures, and my thoughts were the captions. They looked at all of it… From the time Splinter bought us at that pet store, to when that other freaky turtle showed up in our lair."

He finally tore his baby blue eyes from the table and met the gazes of his brothers. They were silent, and they were letting this new information sink in.

Raphael suddenly looked alarmed. "Didn't that weird turtle do that spirit thing on you, too?"

Mikey blinked, and suddenly remembered the deranged turtle placing his finger on his forehead. Memories started flooding into his head—memories that weren't his.

His head started pounding, and he suddenly gripped his chopsticks so hard they snapped. His world started to spin.

"Mikey, what's wrong?" He heard Leonardo's voice, but couldn't react to it. His eyes started to glaze over, his face started to pale, and his form started to shudder.

Next thing he knew, he was lying on the floor, gasping, while the sight of his brothers kneeling beside him danced across his vision.

He froze mid-gasp.

Everything went white.

* * *

><p>"<em>Mikey,<em> help me_!"_ _He cried._

_The freckled turtle merely gave a sinister smile as rain started to fall from the dark skies, and lightening crackled through the air, providing a brief light to shine on the terrified turtle underneath him. _

"_Mikey...! Please…! I-I'm slipping!" _

_The water started to loosen the turtle's grip on the edge of the cliff, and he desperately dug his fingers into the ground._

_The freckled turtle cackled madly, watching as the figure before him struggled to hold on to the only ground he could see for miles. _

"Mikey_!"_

_Tears started to mix with the rain rolling down the desperate brother's face. _

"Please_!"_

_Suddenly, the lightening cracked again, this time so close the ground shook from the boom that followed…_

…_And the little brother's brother felt his fingers slip off of the ledge, his face twisted into complete and utter terror, and he fell downwards to his doom. _

_He screamed. He screamed his little brother's name. He screamed for help. He screamed for an answer._

_And then he was silent. _

_The bandanna of the evil turtle turned black, and his eyes glazed over. Tears started to fall from his eyes, yet he wore a wicked grin. _

"_Mikey!"_

_The turtle had killed his brother._

"_Mikey!"_

_The turtle had _killed _his _brother.

"Michelangelo!_"_

* * *

><p>"<em>Michelangelo!<em>"

Mikey gave a horrible, gasping sound as the conscious world slammed into view. He realized he was crying, and shaking, and clutching someone's hand, and—oh, the terror he felt.

"Mikey, what's wrong with-…?"

'_I killed my brother…'_

"Mikey, snap out of-…!"

'_I-I killed my brother…'_

"…hyperventilating…go and get…!"

"M-… stay…me!"

'_What have I done?!'_

"…Look…me…!"

'_What have I _done?!_' _

"…eyes open!"

Mikey tried to scream, but he was suddenly aware that he couldn't breathe. Pain slammed into his chest, adding to the panic-driven adrenaline pumping through his veins. His free hand clutched his chest, where it felt as if a knife were being driven through his plastron.

His eyes started to focus on the figures surrounding him, and he tried to speak.

"C-can't-…! Br-brea-…!" He gasped.

"Mikey, listen to me." Michelangelo was suddenly aware of someone bending his knees, as well as the sound of Donatello's voice. His brother.

"D-D-do-…-nnie…!" Mikey wheezed, squeezing whoever's hand he was clutching harder. He squeezed his eyes shut when pain wracked his chest again, causing more tears to spill down his face.

"Listen to me," Donatello repeated, hard determination evident in his eyes. "You have got to _calm down_. You're hyperventilating due to a panic attack. I don't know what happened, or what you just saw, but you have to clear your head and take slow, deep breaths. Can you do that for me?"

Mikey closed his eyes and gave a nod. He tried sucking in a slow breath, but it hitched, and he ended up blowing it back out just as fast.

"C-c-can't-"

"Yes, you can. Try again; you're gonna be alright, but you have to try."

Mikey tried again, this time breathing just a tad bit slower than the first attempt.

"Keep going, Mikey, you're doing great," Donnie gave a reassuring smile.

Mikey gradually breathed slower and slower, trying to focus on nothing but Donatello's chocolate irises. Though he was still technically gasping, it wasn't as bad as when he first started to panic.

"There ya' go; now, we're gonna try and sit you up, okay? You'll breathe easier that way."

Mikey nodded, and took another quick breath. His eyes shifted over to the hand he was grasping, and looked up to see Leonardo with genuine worry in his eyes. Realizing he had his hand in a white-knuckle grip, Mikey released him and Leo helped the freckled turtle sit up.

"Mikey, look at me." Donnie demanded his attention again, and Mikey's baby blue eyes trained themselves on his techno-talented brother.

"Follow my lead," He said, and then he took a slow, deep breath. When Donnie did it again, Mikey did it with him, and, somehow, he felt a wave of calm rush over him. He breathed deeply a few more times, and, finally, the pain in Mikey's chest ebbed away, and his breathing returned to normal.

"Better…?" Donnie asked after a few moments.

Mikey wordlessly nodded, and his gaze shifted down to the floor. After the dizziness in his head faded away, and the tears finally stopped rolling down his cheeks, Mikey raised a shaky hand to wipe the wetness from his face, realizing how damp his bandanna was, now.

"Little one."

Mikey slowly raised his head to gaze blearily at the sight of his father—no, _Hahen_—towering over him with his hands folded behind his back.

"Are you alright?"

"Hai," Mikey muttered, his gaze flickering back down to the floor.

"Then rise," He said, and then, after he saw Leonardo preparing to assist him, added, "On your own."

Leo gave a look of surprise to the Splinter look-a-like, and, after a few seconds of hesitation, stood himself.

Mikey shakily got on his hands and knees, and, after taking a deep breath, hoisted himself to his feet. He met Hahen's eyes with his own weak ones, and the old rat sighed.

"You are strong," was all he said.

Mikey blinked. "B-But I just-"

"Your will is strong—stronger than I expected it to be. Your 'doppelganger', as you called him, was not able to withstand what you have just fought through." And then, Hahen smiled softly; "What you have just seen is nothing more than a figment of your doppelganger's imagination. You are safe—and so are your brothers."

At this, Mikey's eyes started to fill up with tears of relief. "Y-you mean… He was just messing with me…?"

Hahen nodded slowly, and then he placed a paw on Michelangelo's shoulder. "Stay strong, little one."

With that, Hahen gave him a bow and left the room. Shigatsu, who had apparently been there with Hahen, glanced Mikey's way before following the rat out of the kitchen.

Michelangelo almost collapsed right then and there from relief.

'_So it wasn't a vision of the future, or anything. It was just that freaky turtle's way of saying 'hi'.'_

"…Mikey…?"

Michelangelo turned to see his three older brothers' concerned faces.

His brothers.

"_You are safe—and so are your brothers."_

They were _safe_.

Slowly, his calm demeanor faltered, and he threw himself into the arms of his brothers, who wrapped him in an embrace.

"Mikey, I'm sorry…" Donnie whispered to him. "I shouldn't have asked."

Mikey shook his head against his brother's plastron.

"S'okay, Don," He whispered back.

"Some things are just better left unsaid…"

* * *

><p><strong>Me<strong>: You like? You no like? You review, yes? Yay!

_Itadakimasu - _Thank you for this meal.

_Iie_ - No problem.


	4. Chapter 3

_To Be a Hero_

Chapter 3

By: Soniclover28

Mikey tried to sleep that night. He really did. But every time he closed his eyes, the same nightmare would jerk him back awake. He just couldn't get the image of his brother falling down into an abyss out of his mind. And to make matters worse, a dark part of his mind—a part that was rarely revealed to anyone but himself—taunted him with the thought of his brothers falling because of _him_.

After his panic attack, Michelangelo's brothers had sat him down, and they all had had a little meeting about their predicament. Mikey had been silent most of the conversation, only giving the occasional nod of the head, or a quiet agreement if his brothers had asked for his opinion on something. It wasn't that he just hadn't wanted to talk; he was spooked. Finally, the four brothers had decided to just play along with this little prophecy they were now part of.

But just before the four brothers had went to bed, and before Raphael could explode with curiosity, the emerald-eyed turtle had finally worked up the nerve to ask Mikey something that'd been on the three older brothers' minds.

"Mikey…" Raphael had said, "Now that you're… y'know… calmed down… Could you-…? I mean, _can_ you-…?"

"Yeah," Mikey had interrupted, not at all surprised at the question he had known was coming.

"Mikey, you don't have to, if you don't want to," Leonardo had told him softly.

The orange-clad turtle had bit his lip in thought for a moment and sighed. As long as he kept himself calm—he'd thought—he should be okay.

"I know we're poking an open wound, Mikey," Donnie had interrupted the turtle's thoughts, "If it hurts too much, we understand; some things are just better left unsaid."

Mikey had nodded and looked at his lap before he finally answered. "Do you guys remember when you said you'd make it your 'top priority' to protect me from things that would 'ruin my innocent mind'…?"

Leo, Raph, and Donnie had been _floored_. Raph had glanced at his other two brothers, and their equally surprised faces had told him that Michelangelo had somehow figured out their little pact on his own.

"H-how did you-…? _When_ did you-…?" Leo had sputtered.

At this, Mikey had looked up, "What? You didn't think I wouldn't notice the hundreds of times you guys get mad when I get hurt? I mean, come on, guys; you guys practically fume when I so much as get a nick from one of the bad guys."

The three older brothers had glanced at each other.

"How… How long have you-…"

"About since I overheard you guys in the kitchen that night. Jeez, just because I was sent through a building didn't mean you had to devote your life to protecting me," Mikey had said. Deep down, a part of him was touched that his brothers would try that hard to shield him from danger. But another part of him—the nasty, independent teenager in him—was embarrassed that he needed the comfort of his big brothers when he fell and got a scrape on his knee.

"'Sent through a building'…?" Donnie had repeated. "You mean when we were fighting Stockman-pod? Mikey, you got a concussion from that! Of course we were concerned!"

The svelte turtle had paused. "And you were supposed to be resting that night!"

Mikey had to fight the urge to roll his eyes.

"_Anyways_," Mikey tried to continue with his earlier explanation. "I don't think you'll…" Mikey had paused and had carefully drawn his knees up to his chest. "I-I don't think you'll have to… have to do that… anymore…"

"What do you mean, Mikey…?" Leo had asked after a few moments of silence.

And then Mikey had started to crack.

"_Mikey,_ help me_!"_

Mikey had screwed his eyes shut and buried his head in his knees.

"I-I just…"

"C'mon, Mike… You know you can tell us anything, bro," Raph had said in a tone he rarely ever used.

"_Mikey...! Please…! I-I'm slipping!" _

"Y-you guys were… I…" Mikey's words weren't coming out how he had wanted them to. He just couldn't stop thinking about… _that._

"Mikey, look at me," Donnie had suddenly said. It had been more of a request than a command, and Mikey had slowly turned his watery eyes towards his purple-clad brother.

"Mikey_!" _

"Please_!"_

"We're here for you. You know that. You don't have to be scared; that's what we're here for."

…_And the little brother's brother felt his fingers slip off of the ledge…_

"I-I know that… I just…" Mikey had swallowed hard.

…_his face twisted into complete and utter terror…_

"You just what? C'mon, Mike; we're listenin'," Raph had encouraged.

…_he fell downwards to his doom._

"I-I just don't… don't know how to…" The orange-clad turtle had sputtered.

_And then he was silent. _

"I-I mean… I-… I-I just…"

_And then he was _silent.

"I-…"

_And then he was _**silent.**

Michelangelo just hadn't been able to take it anymore. He had burst into tears, and, suddenly, his face had been pressed into a scarred plastron, and suddenly, he hadn't minded the fact that he had needed comfort from his older sibling.

"Raph…" He'd sobbed, "You guys… you…I… it was my fault… all my fault…"

"Shh, Mikey… It's okay, Mike—it's okay…" Raph cooed, rubbing gentle circles on the distressed turtle's shell.

"You guys… The cliff… I didn't… I didn't even… You fell… I-I-" Michelangelo had hiccupped. "I-…I-… sorry… I-I'm… I'm sorry… so sorry… sorry…"

Donatello, mind quick as ever, had caught on to what Mikey had been trying to explain—or a good idea of it, anyway.

"Oh, Mikey…" He had breathed, and a sudden lump had formed in his throat. The purple-clad turtle had placed his hand upon Mikey's shell, grabbing the sobbing turtle's attention.

"Hey… Hey, remember what Hahen said…? We're safe, Mikey; were right here. Nothing happened to us—and nothing will. And I don't know why or how this is happening, but we'll get through it. For now, let's call it a night. We're all tired, and a good night's rest would do us all some good right now," Donnie had looked to Leo for approval, who gave a nod, and the brothers had paired up again and set off to their separate rooms.

So here Mikey was, lying on his stomach under Raphael's protective arm. His face was buried in his crossed arms, and he couldn't seem to let his eyes drift shut. So, instead of wasting time trying to sleep, he carefully got up and wandered around the little house where the four brothers and two doppelgängers were staying.

He eventually found himself in a garden just outside of the cozy, Japanese home, gazing up at the foreign sky that held constellations he didn't know. Upon further inspection, Mikey discovered a small pond with a tree that looked suspiciously like a weeping willow hanging over it, and he smiled and climbed to the top of the luscious tree. The water below him sparkled with a clean, light blue shade—similar to the color of his eyes, he remarked.

It wasn't like any water he'd ever seen. It looked as if someone had thrown little blue lights and glitter in the pond. It illuminated the area with a soft glow, and Mikey couldn't help but temporarily forget about his current situation.

So, instead of heading back to the house like he knew he should, he stayed in the weeping willow and gazed at the glowing pond until his eyes caught a purple fish, followed it for a while, and eventually drifted shut.

* * *

><p>"Mikey! Mikey, where are ya'?"<p>

Michelangelo's eyes fluttered open to the sound of his brother's voice. He sat up from his position in the tree, and gave a stretch and a pop of his neck before climbing down the weeping willow.

"Hey, there you are!" Mikey recognized the voice of his oldest brother, Leo, and smiled as the blue-clad brother jogged up to him.

"We've been looking for you all morning, bro," Leo said, giving Mikey one of his pearly-white smiles. "Were you out here all night?"

"Yeah," Mikey replied sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. He smirked, and added, "Gotta embrace the green thumbs."

Leonardo rolled his eyes playfully and took a good look around himself. "Wow; it is pretty cool out here, isn't it? Looks like something Sensei'd enjoy."

The oldest of the four's smile faltered after he'd said that, and Mikey felt a stab of sympathy for him.

"Yeah," Mikey nodded, "I miss him, too. Maybe we can bring one of these plants back to our world with us—I bet he'd like a plant that's actually alive, for once."

Leo chuckled and nodded in agreement. They stood in silence for a few moments, just gazing at the greenery around them and listening to the rustle of leaves and trickling of water over the soft kiss of a breeze drifting by.

"Y'know, I'm proud of you, Mikey," Leo suddenly said, still gazing at the trees, and shrubs, and ferns, and flowers around them.

The freckled turtle looked at the older brother in surprise.

"You're really growing up; you're getting stronger every day. And… I wanted to apologize…" Leo said, still unable to bring himself to look at his younger sibling. "We shouldn't've made that promise with each other to make you our top priority. We'll lay off, if you want us to."

Mikey's face folded into a sad smile. "Nah, don't worry about it. It's just part of being a big brother—sometimes you just can't help wanting to protect my beautiful face," He chuckled. "And… I'm sorry, too. I really don't mind you guys being too mother hen-ish sometimes. It's kinda nice to always have someone to look up to, even if it means being the baby of the family."

Leo smirked and ruffled the nonexistent hair atop Mikey's head.

"C'mon, Mike—let's go make sure Raph doesn't start tearing up the floor-boards looking for you."

* * *

><p>"—we're in a different world, and you think it's okay to just go wander off like that?! What if you would'a ran into trouble, Mike? What if you got lost, or somethin'?!" Raphael scolded, emerald green eyes boring into baby blue.<p>

"But I didn't," Mikey grinned in a sing-song voice. He couldn't help but chuckle when his older brother seemed to be caught off-guard by the question. He had just opened his mouth to speak again when Shigastu cracked open the door to the bedroom and poked her head in.

"Warriors?" She addressed, further stepping into the room once she was noticed. "Hahen has requested your presence in order to discuss the _Prophecy of Purity _and its meaning."

With that, she bowed her red-headed head, and left the room.

The four brothers looked at each other stupidly for a moment before filing out of the bedroom.

They ventured to the room they first arrived in—the room with the cherry blossom tree—and found Hahen sitting in his usual place beneath the tree. There was a scroll and a map laid out in front of him, as well as a stack of cups and a pot of tea next to him.

He distributed the beverages as the four brothers sat down, all five of them forming a circle on the Japanese flooring.

"Konnichiwa," Hahen greeted, bowing his head to them as he allowed the turtles to get comfortable on the floor.

The turtles returned the Japanese greeting and waited for the conversation to start.

"As you know," Hahen started, "You have been summoned here to our world to fulfill the_ Prophecy of Purity. _I have been meditating on what its meaning could be, and this is as far as I have gotten."

The mutant rat pointed to a scroll that, upon further inspection, was the _Prophecy of Purity. _

"The 'four mighty warriors' are you four brothers. You are supposedly 'running for his life'. I have thought upon the matter, and I suspect that the life you are trying to save is one of your own," Hahen explained, and took a sip of his tea.

The four brothers glanced at each other before Leo spoke their thoughts. "But Hahen—none of us are in danger specifically. I mean, we might all be in danger, but if one of us gets involved, we all do."

Hahen looked up from his cup.

"'Their destinies are tied'," He quoted, "'and they fear for their lives'."

Leo blinked.

"Oh…"

Donnie, who had been reading over the next stanza in the prophecy, asked, "So, what do think about this? Is it talking about all of us here, too?"

"'They see the solution,

But they do not see his part.

They see his pollution,

But they do not see his heart.' "

"Now, this is where I suspect that the prophecy is addressing only one of you. You all see the answer to your problem, but you do not see the odd brother's role in it. But the second half of the stanza concerns me," Hahen said, and gave a sudden glance over to Michelangelo. This didn't go unnoticed by the four turtles.

"What, you mean that this poem thinks Mikey's 'polluted'?" Raph scoffed. He couldn't help but feel a little stone drop into his stomach, however.

"His mind has been infiltrated, yes. Polluted, no—not yet," Hahen told him, stroking the hair that hung from his chin.

"So…" Raph started, his expression turning into concern.

"So you're saying that…" Leo trailed, trying to finish but not quite understanding.

"You're saying that whatever got into Mikey's head in the first place'll come back?" Donnie asked, casting a worried glance over at his little brother.

The freckled turtle's eyes were wide, his mouth slightly agape in disbelief.

Hahen nodded, his brown eyes downcast at the map in front of him.

"Yes. And that is why you are going to fulfill the prophecy by going on an expedition. We are here," Hahen continued, as if he hadn't just told Mikey that his mind was being corrupted. He pointed to a cluster of mountains, indicating their location. "You are going to have to find your doppelgangers and confront them. Shigastu has found a guide that will escort you throughout your journey, and when you have finished, you will have fulfilled the prophecy."

"And how do you know that we'll be done? Does it say anything about that in the prophecy?" Donnie, the ever suspicious one, asked.

Hahen only looked at him dead in the eye and recited the last, horrible stanza of the prophecy.

"'Three mighty warriors,

With tears in their eyes.

They have lost a life,

And forever they will cry'."

A shiver ran down the four brothers' backs. And then, Mikey said the one thing that everyone was expecting, but didn't want to hear.

"So… one of us… isn't coming back home…?" He asked pitifully.

Hahen only bowed his head solemnly.

"Your guide will be here shortly. I will supply you with what you need for your journey. _Osaki ni shitsurei shimasu._" Hahen excused himself and left the four brothers under the cherry blossom tree.

"We'll be alright," Leo said after a while, "We'll get through this. Together."

And Mikey couldn't help but hear the uncertainty behind his words.

* * *

><p><strong>Me: <strong>It's 2 a.m. and I stayed up and wrote this whole thing for you. Yes, you. Yeah, _you_! The reader! Anyways, see you next chap! And don't forget to review~I'll be in your closet tonight if you don't ^^ Buh-bye!**  
><strong>


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